Whenever I have time to try new things I go for it. Knowing how to work in other departments at a news station is very important. It is better to get your feet wet before you dive in because its not always going to be the position you want availbe in that moment. I had such an amazing experince working the prompter for the 12:00pm WAVY10 show. At first I wasnt sure if it was something I could do, but when I touched the dial I gained so much confidence and I nailed it. Patience is definetly the key when it comes to listening out for the anchors and how fast or slow they are speaking.
I had the chance to shadow Dominic at the assignment desk for a little bit and it was quite an interesting job. I never really realized people call news stations for any and everything. That day a lady called asking about a reporter who doesn’t even work for WAVY, but at the same time she worked at a news station herslef. Its very fustrating when people call confusing 13News with WAVY. It is also frustrating when people call for emergency reasons when they should just simply call 911.
Symone Davis has been such a good mentor thus far. I am definitely learning a lot from her and cant wait to be as good as she is. Every story we do is different and it has me excited every time never knowing where we are going next. I got to help her find a Halloween costume for the Hampton Roads Show, which was truly hilarious. It took her some time before I finally convinced her to try on the winning outfit. I am really going to cherish these last few weeks interning with Symone! 🙂
As the weeks have been progressing the tips I have been receiving have been super helpful. I believe I am becoming a better reporter and I will only get better and better over time. Most people have to realize that making mistakes isn’t a bad thing, you learn from your mistakes and you grow from your mistakes. I have messed up my stand-ups quite a few times, but I never gave up. I simply gather myself and then try it again until I get it right even if it just means practicing over and over again before getting on camera. I have learned that it’s better to have it written down somewhere in your notes before you say it just so if you mess up you can have something to reference back to.
Personality is key! You should never put your emotions into a story as far as crying and sadness. You have to remain composed but should still have a sort of compassion as well especially with hard news stories. When it comes to the Discovering Hampton Roads segments, the story can be educational but fun at the same time. Symone has definetly taught me her ways as far as having fun when creating the segments for the Hampton Roads Show. I am a very goofy indivdual already so I’m glad I can be professional but still have fun while shooting a story.